Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Steineded How sad is this?

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

XhcnoirX Mark Stevens is a bitter ex-cop, fresh out of San Quentin after doing a 3-year term on bogus corruption charges. Aside from being framed, he also lost his wife and kid in a car explosion meant for him. San Fransisco racketeer Douglas Kennedy was said to be responsible for everything and Stevens wants to get even. He turns to another local mobster, Lewis Martin and his right-hand Skip Homeier, for information but they feign ignorance. But Homeier's girl Joan Vohs, informs Stevens that Kennedy moved to Alaska, and Stevens makes his way up north. There Stevens meets bar owner Martha Hyer while trying to find Kennedy, who lives there under a new identity, raising his young daughter, together with his former criminal partner Mort Mills. But when Martin gets wind that Vohs spilled the beans to Stevens, he sends Homeier and Vohs up north as well, to take care of Stevens, Kennedy, and Vohs...I have a soft spot for Mark Stevens ('The Dark Corner'), and this movie, hist first directorial effort, only solidifies that spot even more. He's not a great actor by any means, but at least in his noirs I find him really entertaining to watch. This might even be his finest hour acting-wise that I've seen so far. Despite playing his character bitter to the core, some would even say over-the-top bitter, he does manage to give him some humanity, and there are some touching moments during his interactions with Kennedy's daughter Cheryl Callaway ('The Lineup'), who gives a great performance for a 7-year old girl. In fact, the cast is pretty good overall, with Vohs ('Vice Squad') also standing out as a streetwise girl with a heart of gold who always goes for the bad guy, Homeier ('Black Widow') in this case. Homeier gives his character a nice sadistic streak, while the gorgeous Hyer ('Down Three Dark Streets') plays the strong but empathetic businesswoman well (loved her hairdo here btw, it really made her stand out). But while they have decent chemistry, the romantic angle between Stevens and Hyer feels a bit forced, it happens way too fast.The plot takes more than a few cues from 1953's 'The Big Heat', but it doesn't feel like a carbon copy of that movie. It's not a classic, but Stevens proved himself a solid director. His next movie, 'Time Table', is also a solid noir (which I would love to see in a cleaned up version), and he would also direct, produce and star in the noir-ish TV series 'Big Town'. What sets 'Cry Vengeance' apart tho from other noirs is the location, a small town in Alaska. Despite a lot of interior shots, there is enough on-location/second unit shooting to give this movie its own feel. It's not an out- and-out noir tho, plot-wise it moves away from noir as the movie progresses, and visually DoP William Sickner ('Loophole') doesn't really bring out the shadows either. But I didn't mind really, I actually liked the story arc and the way Stevens slowly regained his humanity. Definitely a movie I will revisit at some point. 7+/10

dougdoepke Fast and efficient slice of thick-ear, with a plot borrowed from previous year's The Big Heat (1953). The producers, however, had the good sense to locate the action in Ketchican, Alaska, definitely not an over-used locale. Director Stevens makes good use of the outdoor settings, lending exotic flavor to the action. To bad that the photography is definitely non-noir. But then the interiors were filmed in a TV studio.The plot may be borrowed, but there's an interesting wrinkle. Namely, nominal, good guy Stevens is more fearsome than the ostensible mobster, bad guy Kennedy. That's because Stevens thinks Kennedy killed his family and framed him. Now, ravaged with revenge, Stevens wants to kill Kennedy's family, including his winsome little daughter. So, we're left wondering just who to root for. Then there's the psycho hit-man Homeier who's kind of a wild card in a mop of ultra- blonde hair. (Note, for example, the cold-hearted abruptness of the execution scene.) Add a number of familiar supporting players, like Mills and Doucette, and you've got a generally persuasive cast. And, oh yes, on the blondined distaff side mustn't forget barfly Vohs or the fetching Martha Hyer.Considering this movie along with Stevens' tour-de-force Timetable (1956), it's too bad his niche with b&w B-films was giving way to TV. In my book, he shows himself a filmmaker of more than average aptitude. Anyway, the movie's both interesting to follow and scenic to eyeball, a pretty good combination for any film.

MartinHafer Mark Stevens was never a big star. Most of his career he played in B-movies and did a bit of TV. So, in light of this, I was surprised that he not only starred in this film but directed it as well. Now having a cast full of mostly no-names might negatively impact most films, but with film noir, having these less familiar faces is great--as it adds to the realism.Stevens plays a guy who was a cop. He's spent the last three years in prison for a crime he didn't do. The mob not only set him up but killed his family and disfigured his face. So, it's not at all surprising that now that he's out of prison, he's ready to exact vengeance against the guy responsible. The problem, however, is that through much of the film you really aren't sure who the culprit is--though Stevens' character sure seems to know and he's out to kill Tino Morelli (Douglas Kennedy).The movie is a very good film about revenge gone amok. The characters turn out to be very complex and the villain worse than you'd expect to find--even in a B-film. Entertaining throughout and the only scene that I thought was poorly handled was the phone call to Stevens near the end--it just seemed contrived.If you do watch, pay attention to the performance and character played by Skip Homeier--he's very memorable!! Also, while not exactly the same film, this one is very reminiscent of Gregory Peck's "The Bravados"--another exceptional film about revenge. See this one as well!By the way, it's odd that this film was set mostly in Ketchikan, Alaska. Despite the city being inundated with cruise ships, it really doesn't look all that different today than it does in this movie. And, the fishing is quite good.

tnordtvedt I can't say this was a great film, nor can I recommend it to anyone who does not have a familiarity with Ketchikan, Alaska, where it was filmed. Without a tender place in your heart for Alaska's first city, this film will probably not seem too keen to you.But, if you have lived in Ketchikan for any length of time it is a lot of fun to see your hometown as it was nearly 50 years ago. I know this excludes most everyone out there, but hey, I am not recommending it to most everyone. If you know and love Ketchikan, check it out, you will get a kick out of it. Otherwise, skip it.